Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-01-28
BEAR AND PUMA.
A Terrific Fight as Described by nm
Eye Witness.

Eye Witness.
We were soon well up the tree, and
from our perches we could see the great
brutes in an opening below us and be-
yond big rock. They were feeling for an
advantage, or rather the puma was, for
the bear sat or stood in about the same
spot, save that lac moved around SO as
to present his front To the enemy. lac
puma kept creeping around in circfe,
ever and anon crouching as though
about TO spring. His eyes resembled
great balls of fire. and his tail moged
from side TO side with treless regular
| ity
If you notice the painter" said
Jim. ''you will see that he circles in one
direction all the time. He is trying to
make the bear dizzy. and TO rattle hi m.
If the bear ever forgets himself, and
turns in the opposite direction to the
way the painter goes. so as TO give him
chance 10 spring on the old fellows
back. the fight will commence in earn
est and reckon will be 4 short one.
!
bears back, and the bear proposes to
have a hug at the painter if he can"
Directly the puma began to increase
his speed, and soon was darling around
his circle so rapidly that the bear had
all he could do to keep revolving on his
pivot fast enough to circumvent his
enemy. But brun was pretty spry,
and the puma becoming enraged at
last. made a spring at the bear and
landed fair in his arms. Bruln had
raised on this hind legs to receive the
/ great strong brute, and as they came
together with a savage snarl and an
angry growl that re-echoed throughout
the forest | nearly lost my place, so ex-
cited did | become.
They were busy times, then, | tell
/ you. The bear got his arms or. rather.
/ legs around the back of the painter,
and lost no time in squeezing him with
all of his tremendous power, while both
animals began bloody and most vi
c.ous chewing. and tearing and cutting
and ripping with their long sharp
teeth and cruel jaws. They both
fought for the top side, but never ceas-
ed their horrible gashing, and the fur
and blood seemed to I'LL the air for sew
eral feet in all directions.
The noise was terrific, and the com
bat became tercer and fercer. The
bear won the first fall, but by power
fu effort on the part of the puma the
bear was speed lily rolled over, and then
brun punched himself together and
sent the puma over again. Thus they
fought, rolling over and over, but still
keeping up their slashing with their
teeth and claws, the puma trying to
break the bears hug, and at the same
time making an effort to get his teeth
into bruins throat. At times their
teeth would come together with rat
Ting, clashing sound as that OF steel
striking against steel. but neither got g
paw of the other in his mouth. After
awhile the puma turned head to get
shoulder or les hold on the bear,
doubtless intending to break the leg
and free himself of the hug in
order that he might fight with more
facility, but the bear noticed the
move and sank his teeth into the
pumas neck. Mr.. Puma saw that
that wouldn't do, and. with a scream of
renewed rage he called all of his
strength to his aid and twisted his head
back and tn ereby exposed the throat
of the bear for the reason that bruin
wouldn't or at least didn't, relinquish
his neck-hold just in time. The puma
closed his Jaws with sickening sound
on the bears throat, and the old fellow
then let 60 and began work in the
most laughable and at the same time
most frightful hammer and tongs fash
ion that ever was witnessed 1t was
bite, scratch, claw, rip, tear and gouge,
all four sets of claws going heller skel-
ter. hit OF miss, for the bear had now
lost his hug, and recognized the fact
that he must get that fearful fatal
throat-hold broken or die. As the bear
became more and more excited the
puma became all the cooler In a few
seconds the puma had the bear flat on
his back. and. sinking his fore claws in
the shoulders. steadcd himself with
the hind claws, he ripped the bear
open, nearly the entire length, and
actually dsemboweled the poor brute,
clawing his entrals out as a butcher
would cut them out of hog hanging
on the gambrel stick.